Asian-Americans as a Model Minority: Myth or Reality?

In the United States, the Asian-Americans have long been considered as a successful model minority who are well adjusted to American society. However, there exist some disagreement among the scholars as to whether the Asian-Americans could be labeled as a successful model minority. In this paper, the two contrasting views concerning the adjustment patterns of the Asian- Americans were examined in relation with the emerging socio-political climates of the U. S. society. It was emphasized that an evaluation of the current status of Asian-Americans requires some consideration of intra-group variations due to the fact that Asian-Americans have been socially mobile, and there has been a continuous influx of recent immigrants who are heterogeneous. Unlike the past studies which tended to submerge intra-group differences, the Asian-Americans were treated as a diverse group, thereby paying . much attention to those Asian- Americans whom we may label them as unsuccessful groups. After a close examination of the relevant literature and census data, it was concluded that the "Successful Minority" thesis is not reflecting the realities of Asian-Americans adequately. Using averages to characterize population is misleading. Therefore, the model minority thesis can be viewed as a construction of the myth by the dominant group, of which function is to silence the multiple voices of Asian-Americans and other racial minority groups